Toe forming machine



Dec. 18, 1951 B. L. @EE'R ETAL 2,578,756

TOE FORMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET l Invniors iBender Z. Speier Frederic/r 176ml [ion By Thez'r/Tzim'ney D 8, 1951 a.L. SPEIER ETAL 2,578,756

TOE FORMING MACHINE I Filed Jan. 19,, 1951 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Bender L.Speer "E Frederic/r [Hamilion 1 By Their/ffzorney Patented Dec, 18, 19512,578,756 TOE FoRM'iNo MACHINE Bender L. Speier and Frederick I.Hamilton, Norwalk, Cnn., assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,Flemington, N. J., an. corporation of New Jersey Application January 19,1951, Serial No. 206,872

8 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for shaping shoe uppers and is hereinillustrated in its application to machines for shaping the toe portionsof uppers previously attached to their insoles.

In the manufacture of slip lasted shoes having closed toes it isdesirable to shape or mold the toe portion of the upper before insertingthe last intothe upper. Such shaping or molding of the toe portion ofthe upper greatly facilitates the slip lasting operation particularly inthe case of shoes having relatively high toe portions.

It is an object of the present invention to provicle an improved machinefor shaping the toe portion of an upper previously stitched to aninsole. To this end the present invention in one aspect thereofcomprises a shoe machine having a clamping member constructedandarranged to engage the foot-facing surface of an insole previouslysecured to a closed upper. The clamping member engages the toe endportion of the insole and operates in conjunction with a like clampingmember to clamp the toe end portion of the insole while a toe former isadvanced to shape the toe portion of the upper fastened to the insole.

The'illustrated clamping members are flat plates having a peripheralshape corresponding generally to the shape of the toe portion of aninsole. In the illustrated construction one of the plates is fixed to astandard and the other is mounted on a carrier which is movable,preferably by power, to cause the plates to clamp the toe portion of aninsole between them. The illustrated toe former is slidable for movementlongitudinally of the clamped insole, and manually operated means isprovided for advancing the toe former to shape the toe portion of theupper after the insole has been clamped between the clamping plates.

In order to provide for the application to'the toe portion of the upperof fluidmeans such, for example as steam, for conditioning the upper forthe shaping operation, the illustrated toe former is provided with aplurality of ports which communicate through an opening in the stem ofthe toe former with a conductor which communicates with a source ofsteam or other fluid means for conditioning the upper.

Theseand other features of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodyingthe features of thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is aright side elevation of the machine 2 illustrated in Fig. 1with certain parts shown in section on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the operating instrumentalities of themachine in the same plane as in Fig. 2 showing the clamping devicesclosed upon the work; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 showing the toe former inits position at the end of the toe forming operation.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a bench machinehaving a pair of clamping plates which are closed on the toe portion ofan insole by air pressure and a toe former which is actuated bya handlever to shape the toe portion of an upper fastened to the insole.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral l0 identifies a base casting which issecured to a bench IZ'by headed screws two of which are illustrated inFig. 1 and identified by the numerals l4 and IS. The screws extendthrough notches in ears l8 projecting laterally from the base l0 and theheads of the screws clamp the ears against the top of the bench.Referring to Fig. 2, the forward portion of the base H] has an upwardextension 20 having a plane rear surface which is vertically disposedand has arranged in contiguous relation thereto a vertical plate orstandard 22, the standard being secured to the upward extension 20 byheaded screws one of which is illustrated in Fig. 2 and identified bythe numeral 24. The upper portion of the standard has formed therein arecess 2'. in order to provide adequate clearance for the mounting ofthe work in the machine, as hereinafter described. A clamping plate 28is vertically arranged in contiguous relation to the rear surface of thestandard 22 and is fixed to the standard by headed screws two of Whichare shown in Fig. 2 and identified by the numeral 30. The plate 28 is soarranged that its upper portion extends upwardly above the top of thestandard 22 as shown in Fig. 2. Referring to Fig. 1, the upper endportion of the clamping plate 28 is bilaterally symmetrical and has thegeneral shape of the toe portion of an insole. The opposite sides of theupper portion of the plate converge downwardly to a shank portion 32which is the same width as the standard 22. Referring to Fig.

. 2, the rear surface of the upper "portion of the 28 and is secured byheaded screws 40 to the forwardly ofiset upper end portion of a verticalplate 42 the lower portion of which is secured by headed screws 44 to anupwardly extending head 46 of a slide 48. As shown in Fig. 1, the slide48 is mounted in a longitudinal guideway 50 formed in the base I and isheld against upward movement by a gib carried by the slide and arrangedto engage shoulders (not shown) formed in the base ID. The slide 48 maybe actuated by any suitable means to advance the clamping plate 38 intoits clamping position shown in Fig. 3. In the illustrated organizationthe slide is advanced by means actuated by air pressure, said meansbeing generally illustrated in Fig. 2 in which the numeral 52 identifiesthe forward portion of a rod one end of which is fixed to the head 46 ofthe slide and the other end of which is attached to a diaphragm 53clamped between the forward portion 54 and rear portion 55 of an airvise of known construction. Compressed air is conducted to the air visethrough a tube one end of which is illustrated in Fig. 2 and identifiedby the numeral 56. The tube 56 communicates with an opening in therearwardly extending portion 58 of the rear portion of the air vise. Theaction of compressed air on the diaphragm 53 moves the slide 48forwardly to advance the clamping plate 38 from its position in Fig. 2to its position illustrated in Fig. 3.

For shaping the toe portion of a closed upper such, for example, as theupper 60 which is shown in Fig. 3 as being secured by stitches 62 to theinsole 36, the illustrated machine is provided with a toe former 64(Fig. 1) which is bilaterally symmetrical and has the general shape ofthe toe end portion of a last. Formed integrally with the toe former isa stem 66 (Fig. 2) extending downwardly therefrom through a groove 68(Fig. 3) formed in the rear portion of the standard 22. The stem isrectangular in cross section and is positioned between the groove 68 andthe forward surface of the clamping plate 28 for vertical slidingmovement from its position in Figs. 2 and 3 into its positionillustrated in Fig. 4. The stem 66 is provided with a longitudinal borewhich extends upwardly beyond the stem into the toe former 64 andcommunicates with a plurality of ports 12 extending through the upperengaging surface of the toe former. As shown in Fig. 2, the stem 66extends downwardly into the guideway in the base I0 and. has mounted inits lower end a headed screw which provides a bearing for a hand lever14 which is operable to impart upward movement to the toe former. Thelever is pivotally mounted on a cross shaft 16 (Fig. 1) fixed in theforward portion of the standard and extending through a rectangularopening 18 in the base In which provides clearance for the movements ofthe hand lever. A spring 80 normally holds the hand lever in itselevated position shown in Fig. 1 with the toe former at the limit ofits downward movement.

- When it is desired to apply to the toe portion of the upper a means,such for example as steam, for conditioning the upper for the toeforming operation, the conditioning means is conducted to the stem 66through a tube one end of which is the insole are arranged adjacent tothe edge face of the plate. The heel portion of the shoe is positionedbetween the rearwardly offset lower portion of the plate 42 and the stem66 of the toe former. The machine herein illustrated is particularlyadapted to operate on shoes having sling back uppers but it is notlimited in its utility to operation on such shoes since there issufficient space between the plate 42 and the stem 66 to receive theheel portion of any shoe which may. without injury, be somewhat deformedby the forward movement of the plate 42 during the insole clampingoperation. After the shoe is mounted on the plate 28, the rod 52 isactuated to move the clamping plate 38 forwardly into its position shownin Fig. 3 in order to clamp the insole 36 against the fixed clampingplate 28. The hand lever 14 is then operated to move the toe former 64upwardly from its position in Fig. 3 into its position shown in Fig. 4in order to shape the toe portion of the upper.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A shoe machine comprising a clamping member constructed and arrangedto engage the footillustrated in Fig. 2 and identified by the numeral82. The tube communicates through suitable fittings with a horizontalbore 84 extending through the rear portion of the upward extension 20 ofthe base and through the lower portion of the standard 22. When the toeformer is in its elevated position shown'in Fig. 4 the bore 84communicates with an opening 86 in the lower portion facing surface ofan insole at its toe end portion, a cooperating clamping memberconstructed and arranged to engage the outsole-facing surface of theinsole at its toe end portion, means for causing the clamping members toclamp the toe portion of the insole between them, a toe former, andmeans for advancing the toe former to shape the toe portion of an upperfastened to the insole while the insole is clamped between the clampingplates.

2. A shoe machine comprising a flat clamping plate constructed andarranged to engage the foot-facing surface of an insole at its toe endportion, a cooperating flat clamping plate constructed and arranged toengage the outsole-facing surface of the insole at its toe end portion,means for causing the clamping plates to clamp the toe portion of theinsole between them, a toe former, and means for advancing the toeformer to shape the toe portion of an upper fastened to the insole whilethe insole is clamped between the clamping plates.

3. A shoe machine comprising a clamping plate constructed and arrangedto engage the footfacing surface of an insole at its toe end portion, acooperating clamping plate constructed and arranged to engage theoutsole-facing surface of the insole at its toe end portion, poweroperated means for causing the clamping plates to grip the toe portionof the insole between them, a toe former constructed and arranged forrectilinear movement longitudinally of the insole to shape the toeportion of an upper attached to the insole, and manually operated meansfor actuating the toe former.

4. A shoe machine comprising a fixed stand ard, a clamping plate securedto the standard and constructed and arranged to engage the footfacingsurface of an insole at its toe end portion.

a cooperating clamping plate movable toward and from the fixed plate andconstructed and arranged to engage the outsole-facing surface of theinsole at its toe end portion, means for advancing the cooperatingclamping plate to cause the plates to clamp the toe portion of theinsole between them, a toe former, and means for advancing the toeformer to shape the toe portion of an upper fastened to the insole whilethe insole is clamped between the clamping plates.

5. A shoe machine comprising a fixed standard, a clamping plate securedto the standard and constructed and arranged to engage the footfacingsurface of an insole at its toe end portion, a cooperating clampingplate movable toward and from the fixed plate and constructed andarranged to engage the outsole-facing surface of the insole at its toeend portion, means for advancing the cooperating clamping plate to causethe plates to clamp the toe portion of the insole between them, mountedin a guideway in the standard for movement longitudinally of the insole,and a menually operated actuator for advancing the toe former to shapethe toe portion of an upper fastened to the insole while the insole isclamped between the clamping plates.

6. A shoe machine comprising a base, a standard fixed to the base, aclamping plate secured to the standard and constructed and arranged toengage the foot-facing surface of an insole at its toe end portion, acooperating clamping plate constructed and arranged to engage theoutsolefacing surface of the insole at its toe end portion, a carrierfor the cooperating clamping plate mounted in a guideway in the base formovement toward and from the fixed clamping plate, power operated meansfor advancing the carrier to cause the toe end portion of the insole toit be clamped between the clamping plates, a

a toe former slidably toe former, a stem projecting from the toe formerand slidably mounted in a guideway in the standard extendinglongitudinally of the clamped insole, and means operating on said stemto advance the toe former thereby to shape the toe portion of an upperfastened to the insole while the insole is clamped between the clampingplates.

'7. A shoe machine comprising means for clamping the toe end portion ofan insole, a toe former for shaping the toe portion of an upper fastenedto the insole, said toe former being provided with a plurality of ports,a stem projecting from the toe former and having an opening throughwhich the ports in the toe former communicate with a source of fluidmeans for conditioning the upper for the shaping operation.

8. A shoe machine comprising a clamping member constructed and arrangedto engage the foot-facing surface of an insole at its toe end portion, acooperating clamping member constructed and arranged to engage theoutsolefacing surface of the insole at its toe end portion, means forcausing the clamping members to clamp the toe portion of an insolebetween them, a toe former, means for advancing the toe former to shapethe toe portion of an upper fastened to the insole while the insole isclamped between the clamping plates, and a conductor extending from thetoe former and communicating at one end with a plurality of portsopening through the upper-engaging surface of the toe former and at itsopposite end with a source of fluid means for preparing the upper forthe toe forming operation.

BENDER L. SPEIER. FREDERICK I. HAMILTON.

No references cited.

